Sealed With a Kiss
by LeafyDream
Summary: Real Life AU. The new year is about to begin. Ruby and Jaune stand atop a balcony, reminiscing about the previous year and wondering about their future. Then Ruby gets drunk and things get heated from there. Liquor is an excellent lubricant for romance, it seems. *A story for the Month of Lancaster.


**Sealed With a Kiss**

The nights of Vale never got too cold. In Ruby's home town of Patch, the night's wind was biting, almost violent as it carried the winter breeze. Here in Vale, the wind seemed to stroke her rosy cheeks, caressing her skin as it flowed around. The soft crashing of waves was carried along with the cold as she admired the view. She stood on the marble balcony, on the highest level of the Schnee Mansion, overlooking the glimmering sea. The moon's reflection glimmered in it like a diamond as she and Jaune stood over the party below.

"Okay, rate your year from one to ten. One being awful, ten being super-awesome."

"Hmmm." Ruby stared into the distance with an intense glare, her brow trembling as she pondered the question. "Seven. Seven point four."

"Does that point four make that much of a difference?" asked Jaune, as he leaned over the balcony, resting his arms on the smooth, marble stone. His cup stood on the balcony's railing, beside his arm. Ruby joined him, brushing hair from her eyes with one hand as her other held a plastic cup.

"It does to me," she replied. "What about you?"

"Well, I mean, point four just isn't that big of a number." He just laughed as her hand lightly pushed against his shoulder. He swayed a bit, scoffing at the playful glare she gave him.

"You know what I mean, ya big doof," she laughed. "How was the year for you?"

Jaune pondered the question, before replying with a shrug. "Hmm... Solid five."

"Ouch." She flinched at the answer and he took mock offense at the remark, leaning closer to her with a frown on his face.

"What? Why 'ouch?' That's half. Half isn't bad!"

"Half is an F last time I checked." Ruby couldn't hold back the quiet giggle as his eyes widened. "Still wanna stick with that answer?" Then she noticed how close he was to her and her cheeks burned. She considered stepping to the other side, but when Jaune didn't move away she simply accepted the fact.

"Hmm... Yeah, I guess." He shrugged his shoulders as he looked off into the distance. Her eyes followed his, and the two admired how the dark-purple sky melded with the navy-blue sea in the horizon. Every now and again Ruby would glance at her friend, quietly watching the way his golden locks swayed in the wind. The way his body stood tall, like a monolith, against the cold...

 _He's filling out that suit really well,_ she thought. Ruby's eyes widened in shock as Jaune, nearly biting her own tongue as her mind raced. She quickly downed the rest of her drink, trying to ignore the drumming rhythm of her heart as her mind began to repeat itself. _Stop that! Stop... stop thinking that now! Stop it! Stupid eyes! Stupid hormones...!_

"I mean, I got a job as a delivery boy. I mean, the pay and hours could be better, but it's something." Jaune had a distant smile as he looked up to the stars. She lifted her head up as well, and her mind fell at ease. The stars danced and glittered like city lights in the dark sky; each light a brilliant silver that reminded him of a certain crimson-tipped woman. "And I got to spend another year with all my friends, bestie included."

It was something that Jaune helped her with when they first met. After years of moving fast, to just stop and take in the world around her was something Ruby had never considered. Life was just one adventure after another, never stopping, always moving. It was how Ruby liked it. Then Jaune came to her life and pressed the pause button on her life. It gave her the chance to see the world, to take it all in like a breath of fresh air.

The waves still crashed, the lights glowed below them as her sister made a fool of herself, and the stars shimmered like treasure in the sky. After a few minutes of standing there, Ruby would have thought she'd have turned bored by now, but no. The world was moving slowly, and she liked it that way... She liked being here, with her best friend.

"Awww. You shut your stupid face," she commanded, swaying a bit as she absentmindedly grabbed Jaune's drink. She drank from the plastic container, tasting the sweet liquor. Jaune didn't even noticed. The young man seemed miles away, and somewhere in Ruby's intoxicated mind, she knew why.

Neither wanted to mention the elephant in the room. How Jaune had lost his girlfriend of two years back in May. Ruby still couldn't understand how Pyrrha could just break the poor boy's heart, especially after all the time the two had spent together. When Ruby asked Jaune for details, he just looked away and brushed her off. Eventually, Ruby stopped asking and the two simply pretended Pyrrha never happened...

Ruby's lips twisted into a slight frown as the memory replayed itself in her mind. How could Pyrrha just do that? J _aune's such a good catch! He's nice, funny, and cute! Wait, cute?_ Ruby drank from the cup again, letting the liquid courage seep through her body. Like a boulder rolling down a hill, Ruby's mind began to race and dart towards a new realization.

Perhaps if she had been sober, her mind would have acted more rationally. Perhaps she would never have acted on the stray thoughts in the first place. But the truth was, she was drunk. She was very drunk, and she was going to act on her new thoughts. "Hey, Jaune?"

* * *

The sound of an empty, plastic cup hitting the balcony below them shook Jaune from his thoughts. Then Ruby called out to him. "Hm?" He turned his head to meet her, his lips forming a blank, neutral expression. His eyes widened as Ruby's hands fell upon his cheeks and the small, almost tiny girl leaned forward. A slight, rosy hue infected the young man's cheeks as she yanked him down to her level. "R-Ruby?"

"You're my friend, Jaune. You've always been my friend, ever since you helped me on my first day of Beacon." Ruby's breath was hot, and reeked of alcohol, yet that was the furthest thing from the young blonde's mind. "And I just want you to know..." Her fingers were now massaging his cheeks, squeezing his face between them. "That I care!"

"Wuby," he struggled to say. "You're dwunk."

"Your face is drunk," she snorted. "Now, you say you care about me! Say it!" Her voice took a dark edge for a moment, glaring into Jaune's blue eyes. The blonde didn't even consider pulling away. He just tried to smile as he replied.

"Uh... Wuby, I cawe about you wike the sister I've always wanted."

Rather than earn a grin from the girl, Ruby's simple smile turned upside down. She scowled at the young man, holding his face prisoner. "You have seven sisters," she hissed.

"That's why I said, sister I always wanted."

"Well, what if I don't wanna be your sister!" she growled, squeezing his face even tighter. Her silver eyes were sharp, like the daggers she seemed to be shooting at him.

"Uh... It's juwst an expwession?" He grabbed onto Ruby's small, almost dainty hands and forced them off of him. She pouted all the same as his hands began to mindlessly stroke her wrists. "You okay, Rubes? What's wrong?"

"I'm not a baby," she muttered, glancing away from his azure gems. The response just left her friend even more confused as he tilted his head to the side.

"Huh?"

"I'm not a baby," she sighed. "I feel like everyone looks down at me cause I'm younger than them. They act like I'm fragile, or I'm weak, or I'm innocent, or that I'm just different!" He squeezed her wrists a little tighter, silently comforting her. She couldn't look into his eyes, but if she did, she would have seen sympathy and understanding in his cyan orbs. "Except you. You never thought I was weak or that I couldn't do something. You told me how cool I was and how awesome I was at stuff and... I guess, you were just glad to have someone as dorky as you around," she scoffed.

"Hey, that's not true! I liked having you around. You're funny, smart, super cool..." Every word he listed seemed to improve Ruby's mood. Her lips were curled into a widening grin as he listed off all the things he liked about her. "You've got great taste in movies, you think I'm fine, you support me, you helped me get over Weiss, you've always been there for me, Rubes!" Her heart was racing for some reason, and her cheeks were scarlet as she moved a little bit closer to Jaune. He didn't say anything about it, nor did he push her away. She wanted to be closer, and honestly? He liked having her close by. "You're, like, one of the guys."

Oh. Jaune suddenly realized he had said something wrong when all of his hard work vanished and Ruby's beaming grin turned into an angry frown. "I'm a woman," she growled, her voice emphasizing the last word.

"Huh?" Her hands tore themselves free from his and she practically threw herself forward, pressing her supple breasts against his chest, making the flesh rise and adjust to the hard surface they rubbed against. Jaune's cheeks turned crimson as her arms grabbed onto one another behind his neck. He was captured as Ruby pulled her body against his.

"I'm twenty two, Jaune. I'm not the little girl you met in high school!"

"I-I know, Rubes-" _God, when did her breasts get so big? Ah! Stop thinking that, you moron! This is Ruby! Your best friend! She's drunk! Stop thinking about your drunk friend like that!_

"Do you?" she wondered, the words sounding more akin to an accusation. "You asked me to be your wingman when you asked Weiss out. Your wingman. Or, or even when you asked out my sister! You asked me for advice! You've always looked at me like your friend, well, what if I don't wanna be your friend anymore, Jaune?!"

The words struck a knife through Jaune's heart, and his eyes widened as the girl glared at him. He could feel his heart bleed, only for his breath to be taken away. Ruby's lips pressed against his and everything in the world just melted away as his lips found their other half. A million thoughts zoomed by his mind as he watched Ruby close her eyes and relax her lips, gently pressing them further into his.

 _Ruby and I are kissing._

 _She tastes like strawberries._

 _God, she is so soft._

 _But her breasts are so big, how does that work?_

 _Ruby and I are kissing!_

 _She's really soft..._

It was as if the rest of the world melted away. Like the moon was a spotlight shining down on them, on a beautiful stone stage. It was like lightning coursing between two machines, like two suns sharing a single flame. It was like Jaune's very body was shaking from the warmth of her lips. The cold, night, breeze pushed against their bodies, making their hair sway, but it all seemed so distant. The sounds of the party below, the stars in the sky, the howl of the wind... It all just fell second to the sensation of Ruby's lips against his.

Her lips moved, gently rubbing against his own. He felt her tongue dart out, tasting his own, before pulling away in fear. He could hear the racing drum of his heart, or maybe it was hers. Her tongue darted out again, but this time electricity shocked both of them as his tongue met hers. She let out a cute gasp, muffled from their lips pressed together, but she didn't pull away this time. Their tongues touched against and Ruby opened her mouth wider, pressing her body harder against his as Jaune felt his body naturally move against her.

Their tongues pressed and smacked against one another as their hot, heated breaths melded together. Ruby's lips caught his bottom lip between them, and she gently sucked and pulled on it, before releasing it with a pop. She moaned and Jaune felt his spine tingle at the sound. He wanted to hear it again as he kissed her, pushing his tongue into her mouth this time. She let out a squeak of shock, before moaning in returning. Ruby was an inexperienced kisser, but what she lacked in experience, she more than made up for with passion and adoration.

Jaune had kissed girls before, but it never felt like this. He didn't know if it was the liquor, or if Ruby was just this naturally good at kissing. He felt his body trembled as her fingers stroked and played with his golden hair. Her breasts pushed against his chest as his hands struggled to do something. One hand fell upon her cheek, stroking the smooth and rosy skin with a thumb as the other hand fell upon her back. It rested on the back of her dress, just above her hips. He massaged the fabric, earning another whimpering moan from Ruby's sweet, strawberry-flavored lips.

"Jaune..."

Somewhere in the fog of his mind, Jaune recalled a memory. He remembered how Pyrrha broke up with him. It wasn't cruel, it wasn't mean, and she looked just as as shattered by the decision as he had been. He asked her why, swore he could change, promised he'd make it up to her, but she rejected him every time.

 _"I love you, Jaune, but- but I don't think you love me like I love you..."_

 _"Pyrrha, please! I do love you! I'm sorry if I hurt you... What did I do wrong?"_

He remembered the way she gazed into his eyes. She saw something in his eyes that he didn't even know was there. _"Until you know who it is you really love, Jaune, I just can't be with you... I'm sorry. I will always care about you, and nothing will ever make me hate you, but I just... I can't be with you if I'm going to be second to someone else."_

* * *

Finally, the two broke apart. They were both panting, a trail of saliva still linking them together. Absentmindedly, she licked at the air, breaking the white chain. Her intoxicated mind was finally catching up with her body, and her eyes widened as Jaune continued to hold her against him. "I-I-I..." Her hands fell limp, slipping off of his shoulders and between their chests. She could feel his heart through his suit and skin...

"Ruby... How long have you felt this way?" He didn't sound angry. He didn't sound sad. He just... He sounded like Jaune. All the same, she just couldn't meet his gaze as her heart pounded.

"I-I dunno.. Just now? Forever? I don't know... I don't even know what I'm feeling." Neither tried to pull away from the other. Ruby's head landed on his chjest, her forehead resting on his body as he rested his head on hers. "Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm drunk."

"I think so too, Crater Face."

They heard some yelling from below them. People were counting down...

"Ruby?"

"Yeah, Vomit Boy?" They both laughed at the name, pulling each other closer. Their bodies enjoyed the contact and warmth and their hearts found a matching rhythm to their own in the other.

"What happens now? I mean... Are we dating?"

"I-I dunno. I guess?"

"Do you want to date me?" he asked. He sounded terrified of her answer.

"I-I think I do." She closed her eyes and took in his scent. He smelled like cherries. "No, I know I do."

"O-oh..."

"Thirty! Twenty-nine! Twenty-eight!"

"Is that bad?" she wondered. Now she was the one who sounded scared.

"No. Not at all. It's just... Well, I guess I just didn't expect this to happen last year."

"Twenty-two! Twenty-one! Twenty!"

"A lot can happen in a year," she mused. Suddenly he pushed her away, his hands holding her shoulders. Her mouth opened to speak, but his hand fell under her chin and lifted her face to meet his. Silver eyes stared into sapphire eyes as the countdown neared its' end. "J-Jaune?"

"Fourteen! Thirteen! Twelve!"

"I don't know what's going to happen. I don't know what the new year will have in store for us, but I know I want to spend it with you. Either as friends, o-or best friends, or-"

"Eight! Seven! Six!"

"Shit," he cursed. He glared at the crowd below, before looking at Ruby with scarlet cheeks, but determined eyes. "Ruby, will you be my girlfriend?! A-and can I be your boyfriend!? Please?!" His voice was high-pitched, panicking, but he raised to beat the clock.

"Four!"

Their hearts raced as an unknown future laid before them.

"Three!"

Their eyes widened as they imagined all the things the year had in store for them.

"Two!"

Their lips met as they promised to take it all, the good, the bad, and everything in between, together...

"I'd love to, Jaune."

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

 **END**

Happy New Year everyone. Have a good one! Enjoy yourself and be safe!

And Happy Month of Lancaster! Well, technically January is the month, but eh. I wanted to start a bit earlier. I'm going to do my best to write a bunch of Lancaster one shots, so stay tuned for that this month! It'll be very exciting, I'm sure. Stayed tuned for more one shots, and more of my regular stories, and have a wonderful, sweet new year! Love you, guys!


End file.
